Clothes ironing machine



Oct. 12, P Z|N| CLOTHES IRONING MACHINE 2 Sheets-$heet 1 Filed June 20, 1952 INVENTOR,

PLACIDQ zlNl BY J M ATTORNEY Oct. 12, 1954 P. ZlNl 2,691,230

CLOTHES IRONING MACHINE Filed June 20, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTAO R P LACIDO ZINI ATTO NEY Patented Oct. 12, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" CLOTHES IRONIN G MACHINE Placido Zini, Pergamino, Argentina, assignor to Hugo Angel Zini, Bucnos Aires, Argentina Application June 20, 1952, Serial No. 294,527

. 2 Claims. 1

The present invention refers to a clothes ironing machine, its main object being to furnish a new arrangement offering evident functional advantages for the irornng of diverse articles of clothing, such as, shirts, collars, etc., as well as any other article made of cloth.

The invention, essentially, consists in providing a supporting member with a platform capable of varied movements in one plane, and an ironing member placed normally with regard to said plane and capable of horizontal and normal displacement with regard thereto. In this manner, the platform can be moved in several directions by the operator and the ironing member slides over the article of clothing placed upon the former, suitably flattening same as is required in-this kind of work.

A further object of the invention isto equip the device with pedal-controlled means enabling the ironing member support to be raised or lowered, being thus brought into contact with or removed from the mobile platform.

It is another object of the invention to provide the platform with means for articulately joining same to the corresponding supporting stand or upright, in such a manner that said platform, within its plane, may perform circular, polygonal, elliptical and similar motions, as may be required.

A further object is to (provide motor-controlled mechanical actuating means for displacement of aforementioned ironing member, the motor being controlled by means of an electric switch operatable through knee pressure, the operator's hands being thus left free for moving tine platform.

The invention likewise contemplates the bodily comfort of the operator. For this reason, its embodiments preferably include a pedestal or stand or adequate height, permitting the person in question to place him or herself squarely in front of the machine.

An additional purpose of the invention is to provide attractive, durable, solid and easily handled embodiments, readily manufactured at reduced cost..

In order that the present invention may be more clearly understood and readily put into practice, same will now be described in detail with particular reference to attached drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment which is to be taken as explanation only and not as imposing limitation or restriction upon the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational'side view of an embodiment of the invention, showing the relative arrangement of its component parts and, in dotted lines, phases of its operation.

Figure 2 shows a constructive detail of above embodiment in one of its possible variations.

' Figure 3 is an elevational front view of a modification of the mechanism for bringing about horizontal displacement of the ironing member.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a slide member completing a runner mechanism allowing horizontal movement of the platform.

Figure 5 is an amplified elevational view of "a vertical section through an embodiment of aforesaid platform and its corresponding displacement mechanism.

Figure 6, in two diiferent diagrammatical illus trations, shows the main possible displacements in orthogonal directions of which the seating ring of the mobile platform is capable in the embodiment illustrated in above Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an elevational front view of the invention as per Figure 1 above. I

Figure 8 is an amplified upper plan view of the runner or slide rail mechanism and the seating-ring provided for said platform, belonging to embodiments as shown in Figures 1 and 7.

Like numerals represent like or similar par-ts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The construction and operation of embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 and '7, and partially shown in Figures 4 and 5, 6 and 8, is as follows: A pedestal a is provided with a preferably hollow foot I from which an upright 2 rises'vertically and an arm 3 obliquely towards the front of the machine. Said slanting arm 3 continues vertically in the form of a cylindrical portion 4 receiving a slidable trunnion 5 the position of which can be held and adjusted with the aid of thumb screw 6 joining a forked portion of said trunnion 5 which is thus capable of tightly clasping stem 4. Aforesaid trunnion 55 is provided with two reciprocally parallel and upwardly forking arms I, the free ends of the sides of which are provided with reciprocally parallel metal bars 8, slidably mounted in respective tubular members 9 forming integral part of runner 10. This runner I0, furthermore, is equipped with two further tubular members II, placed above and normally with regard to members '9, as is best shown in Figure 4. Upper tubular members II of runner Ill slidably receive 'bars r2, the'ends of which are joined to members l3 in turn associated with connecting member l4 related to a horizontal annulus IS. The upper face of said annulus ['5 is provided with a circular slot I6 receiving stems l1 forming integral part of platform l8. This platform is rotatable with regard to axis I9 of the annulus by means of said tongue-and-groove members 16 and I1, being centrally retained by screw 20 which, effectively serving as spindle, secures same to connecting member l4.

Platform l8, consequently, is rotatably mounted with regard to annulus l5 and the latter, in turn, due to its double pair of runners, normally situ ated with regard to one another, is slidably mounted with regard to clamping trunnion 5 which secures the assembly to the cylindrical stem 4 forming integral part of pedestal a. Due to this connection arrangement, platform I8 is displaceable in any direction with regard to a horizontal plane, its several geometrical points being able to follow any course over a polygonal, circular, elliptical, etc. At the same time it can be fixed at different heights with regard to its supporting arm -3.

With regard to above-mentioned vertical standard 2, which is preferably hollow, same rises to a level which is considerably higher than the free end of stem 4. Its several arms bifurcate horizontally, as at 2| and 22, towards the front of the machine.

The free end of the upper portion 2| is associated with a vertical stem 23, directed towards platform I8. Said stem 23 slidaibly houses forked supporting member 24 arms 25 of which extend towards the respective sides of the machine and towards aforesaid platform l8. A worm screw 25, having two crossed screw threads 21 and 28, is rotatably mounted between the ends of arms 25 of the forked member. Said screw threads, by means of respective associating threads provided in the ends of the screw, and in cooperation with a tooth lodging in the screw and forming integral part of runner 3!), permit said slide or runner to be carriedby means of a turning motion of worm screw 26 from one end to the other of aforementioned screw member, alternatively and in both directions. Said runner 3B surrounds said horizontal screw and is provided with suspension means for the ironing member 3|. This ironing member 31 can be an ordinary electric flatiron, of the kind usually employed for the purpose.

The rotation of screw 26 is brought about by an electric motor 32 connected to the lower arm 22 of support 2. The motor drives the screw by means of a belt 33 passing over a sheave '34 forming integral part of one end of the same screw. This belt can be resilient and, therefore,

, self-tensioning, or can be kept in tension by a tensioning pulley 35 (spring actuated). Thus, the vertical displacement of member 24, supporting the ironing member 3|, with regard to supporting stem 23, does not prevent drive 33 from being effective in the different relative positions of the motor and the worm screw. Th vertical movement of said member 24 is controlled by means of a pedal 38, articulately joined to foot I of pedestal a, said pedal actuating a rope 31 passing over pulleys 38, the free end of the rope being tied to counterweight 39 which, in turn, is fixed to one end of lever All fulcrumed in an upright 4| supported between both horizontal arms 2| and 22. The other end of lever 30, by means of a connecting rod 42 pivoting therein and to the horizontal projection 43 lodged in bushing M swiveling on stem 23, connects said lever 40 to supporting member 214.

By adequately acting upon pedal 36, member 24 and consequently ironing member 3!, can be displaced vertically under guidance of stem 23. Said member .24 is counterpoised by weight 39 which, during the inoperative phase of the machine, tends to keep the assembly in the position shown in solid lines in Figure 1.

Once the ironing member 3i is heated and the garment to be ironed is placed on platform IS, the operator merely has to step on pedal 36 in order to lower member 24 supporting said flat- 4 iron and thus bring the latter into contact with said garment.

Motor 32 can then be put in operation by adequate knee pressure exerted by the operator on lever -45 of electric switch 45 included in the electric feed circuit. Said motor then turns worm screw 26 and consequently displaces ironing member 3| horizontally and alternately in both directions along the axis of the screw. On the other hand, the operator can grasp the edges of platform 18 and displace same in convenient horizontal planes as may be suitable for the garment being ironed. Said garment and the ironing member, therefore, mutually in contact, move independently from one another and permit the work in hand to be performed correctly.

When pressure on lever 45 is removed, as well as that on pedal 36, motor 32 stops and the ironing member 3| rises, thus allowing the ironed garment to be withdrawn from platform l8 and replaced by another article to be submitted to the same operation.

Instead of weighing down supporting member 25 by means of counterpoise 39, an expansion spring 23' can be intercalated between bushing 44 and a widened portion 41 provided in the lower portion of guiding stem 23, as is illustrated in Figure 2.

Likewise, the alternate rectilinear motion to be transmitted to ironing member 3| can be obtained by a mechanism consisting of connecting rod and handwheel b as diagrammatically shown in Figure 3, associated with runner 30 mounted on bar The invention as herein described and ill-us trated may be clearly understood and no further explanations will be required by those versed in the art.

Inasmuch as this invention has been specified and illustrated with particular reference to preferred embodiments which are to be taken as examples only and not as imposing restriction or limitation on the invention, it can be understood that changes may be introduced in construction and details thereof without thereby departing from its essential nature, as clearly defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an ironing machine in combination, a supporting structure, an ironing member carried thereby, a support for said ironing member, a transverse member having a helical groove therein carried by said support, a follower reciprocable on said transverse member, means connecting said follower to said ironing member, motor means carried by said supporting structure for reciproeating said ironing member, a work supporting platform, .a supporting member associated with said supporting structure for said work supporting platform, transversely related pairs of tubular members carried by said supporting member, rods slidable in "said tubular members connected to said platform, and means rotatably. mounting said platform on said supporting member.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein means are provided for varying the position of said ironing member vertically.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS P'ickens Sept. 25, 1934 

